Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1887-05-13
eIfct Rfabing.
ROSS THOMPSON.
EY AGNES l. CARTER.

= II IS | h"mpSon Was the most prom
pisIng young man of his class that il
was evyr INV fortune 10 meet. IL. was
.qcick Of understanding. could perform
s.uy light msctu2gcai work with an
tase which looked like slyigat ot hand.
land was particularly clever at his
$thdies. gfa ut'iug with high honurs
+: from is university His appearance
W sstrlkleg and attractive Both face
.aad figure were fine aud noble. and
might have satisfied sculptor. He
mas graceful enough 10 lead off dance
in any drawing room, though he pos
sibly never entered one and when he
has set chair for the. with his inimit
able little bow, have been unable TO
resist the feeling that it was condes
icensian. His thick black hair WAS al
ways clipped as close as possible, dis
playing the form Of fine head and u
commanding brow the eyes dark and
IyclvetS, with heavy lashes; the nose
straight: the mouth delicate. firm and
-luiet; the complexion a clear brown.
sjlr wore onls slight mustache. Ills
prevailing expression was on. of at
s-n,ive thoughtfulness.
.Mitk tGy t-...---- --fsahn- Mas -rr.ssilE
'7nteresfed IN TIE young student, at
tended the commencement at the uni
versi'y when Thompson graduated.
I | was little girl of twelve or fourteen
Years OF ,ge. but the occasion vas im-
prcsslye u me, and can veil remem-
F ber the young mans animated address
+ to his class. snd the bright lace he
wore as he afierward listened. diploma
/ IN hand. To my fathers words of en-
ic1uragemeEt.
"lou must remember, Ross" my
/ father concluded. THAT on your sue.
Hcess. ullInatsls, and therefore on your
prudence and industry Immediately,
will depend, IN some measure, the
future Of many of your friends. You
/ will be-, in some sense, y pioneer; or,
although much ba. already been con
fquered Tor you. YOU Will tiud yourself
handicapped, even yet, IN the race"
/ Il know that, SIR" WAS the CHEEKY,
courageous answer; but since you,
and others like you, have given us
such IA chance and such start, we
cannot surely fail TO find friends in
the world. and to fight our way to
position. Social pr,.j slice isn't what
II used To be, and things grow better
every dnv."
How could there be prejudice
against such face AS that thought |,
looking up. loss spoke With pecu-
liarly refined accent and euuuciation,
a sufficiently uncommon thing at that
university. His sister, year earlier.
had graduated frcm the Normal Col
Iege of the city IN which they lived,
and was teaching in ia small public
school. She was n pretty, shy, fright
eyed girl. who stood qnletIy near dur.
ing this conversation. have seen
her but once since that day, aor did
see her brother lor eight or niue Years
but We mentioned him freluently,a ana
were convinced that he was certain to
distinguish himself.
Ii is of no consequence what bust.
ness or pleasure led Grandon and me-
last year. to large hotel in certain
finland city. We were accepted, in
!stantly, as bride and groom, and, as
~e entered the dining room the head
waiter, with marvellous flourish, swept
us up to disengaged table, and tuck
ed IN our chars for us" as Grandou
expressed it, his own magnificent self
Grand then devoted himself to the lis,
of viands, which was placed, with an
other splendid flourish, upon fancl
fully contort"d napkin, while | took
up my old amusement of watching the
tricks and the manners OF the fine
corps of colored walters who manpu
vred and skirmshed about the large
dinin. room. One, who was almost
white, came bearing down upon t
neigh boring table, with lofty terraces
and towers Of small vegetable dishes
piled curiously upon his coat sleeves
another, with the lordly air OF a young
prince, carried IA round d, zen of great
goblets in his deft hands, while con
slant procession went streaming
through the swinging door which lie,
to the kitchen, AID out again at cor
responding door, all carrying at arm I
!, length, above their heads, perilousl,
loaded traps, and moving With wonder
r Gus spe, d and balance. Meanwhile
the shadow detailed for our servic
j. had filled our glasses. aud bent in sill
: ent Difference to receive an order. IL
was exceedingly quick, neat and dex
ferrous: he seemed to stand behind us
out Of sight, and execute our orders b.